Fairfax County Registrar Rokey Suleman is disqualifying an overwhelming majority of the military federal write-in absentee ballots received in his county on the basis that no address had been given for those witnessing the voter signatures on the ballots. According to Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity and four former members of the military who held a press conference on Thursday, over 98 percent of these military absentee ballots in Fairfax County are being rejected.

“The federal write-in absentee ballot is a federally mandated ballot that allows military service members and their dependents to cast an absentee ballot when they haven’t received a [state] ballot before the election,” Herrity said. “For them it’s a safety net. It allows them to vote if the mail truck hasn’t reached his or her remote base in Iran or Afghanistan in time to cast a regular absentee ballot.”

When asked how many ballots had been rejected, Herrity responded, “Out of the 260 military federal write-in ballots received to date, only five included an address for the witness. The other 255 have been set aside for rejection.”

On page two of the Voters’ Declaration/Affirmation-Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) at the very bottom of the form is the signature block for the “Witness/Notary and Address (if required)”. Note the instructions given to Virginia service members, “Block 7: Sign and date in the presence of a witness. The witness must sign and date the form.”

That’s it. No instruction given on any requirement for the witness to give an address. This has resulted in only 2 percent of the military ballots received to date including an address for the witness.

Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) released a written statement, “The Fairfax County registrar is going to great lengths to register voters in the county jail. It is shameful he is going to even greater lengths to disenfranchise our men and women in uniform.”

Davis is referring to a voter registration drive conducted by Suleman in county detention centers. Calls to Suleman’s Fairfax office resulted in automatically being put on hold. I stayed on the line at one point out of curiosity and was kept on hold for over an hour before hanging up.

Calls to Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell’s office were returned immediately. Spokesman David Clemenson said, “We are aware of this situation and are working to ensure all proper votes cast are counted. We are concerned about all eligible voters but can’t comment further at this time.”

Jailbirds can vote, but Soldiers can't. Glad to see that the registrar knows his core constituencies.

10-28-2008, 12:13 AM

marinejcksn

That's ok, Rokey. We'll step & fetch for you out here in Iraq all year long....just set them votes to the side. :rolleyes: Effing douchebag should eat a barrage of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps fists straight to the face.

I heard the Great One Mark Levin mention this yesterday on the online stream of his show from Friday, thanks for providing the source story Sir.

Side note: the overwhelming majority of the military is voting for McCain. Coincidence? I'm sure. :mad:

10-28-2008, 04:06 AM

AmPat

This happens every election. It was particularly bad during the incessant recounts in Florida during 2000. Seems the military votes weren't necessary to decide the election yet a couple hundred hanging chads were, but only DIMocRAT chads.

I'm certain that if the write in ballots were historically DIMocRAT, the ballots would be counted.:mad:

DIMocRATS are only concerned with disenfranchised LIBERALS, Conservatives don't count.:cool:

10-28-2008, 02:28 PM

crockspot

The DUmmies love to go on about how Republicans try to suppress the vote, and commit voter fraud. Yet the only people we can actually point to who suppress votes and commit fraud are all Democrats. Project much?

10-28-2008, 02:47 PM

Odysseus

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinejcksn

That's ok, Rokey. We'll step & fetch for you out here in Iraq all year long....just set them votes to the side. :rolleyes: Effing douchebag should eat a barrage of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps fists straight to the face.
I heard the Great One Mark Levin mention this yesterday on the online stream of his show from Friday, thanks for providing the source story Sir.
Side note: the overwhelming majority of the military is voting for McCain. Coincidence? I'm sure. :mad:

Now, if those voters were in the brig, they'd have had their votes counted. The SOB made sure that he did a voter registration drive at the county jail. The liberal mindset is clear: Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen can be discounted, but felons must be given the opportunity to vote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmPat

This happens every election. It was particularly bad during the incessant recounts in Florida during 2000. Seems the military votes weren't necessary to decide the election yet a couple hundred hanging chads were, but only DIMocRAT chads.
I'm certain that if the write in ballots were historically DIMocRAT, the ballots would be counted.:mad:
DIMocRATS are only concerned with disenfranchised LIBERALS, Conservatives don't count.:cool:

Of course conservatives don't count. To liberals, the only ideas that are worth hearing are theirs, the only votes that should be counted are theirs and the only policies that should ever be implemented are theirs. That's why they'll silence conservatives but ensure free speech for terrorists, conduct voter fraud and use every trick that they can think of in order to ensure that government stays on the course that they've set.

Opinion Finds Federal Law Preempts State Law; Federal Ballots without Witness Address Are Lawful, Must be Counted

FAIRFAX - Attorney General Bob McDonnell released a formal opinion today concluding that federal absentee ballots from overseas military voters lacking the printed name and address of a witness must be counted. The opinion affirms that federal law preempts state law, thus clarifying the state and federal statutes regarding the issue. The confusion centered over whether a state law requiring a witness’s printed name and address controls federal absentee ballots or the federal law governs this issue. The opinion was requested by Delegate Bill Janis (R-Henrico).

In the formal opinion the Attorney General finds, “It is…. my opinion that the applicable provision of Virginia law, Sec. 24.2-702.1(B), interpreted to require an overseas military voter submitting only a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to include the printed name and address of the person who signs the witness statement is preempted by the provisions of the (federal) Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Finally, it is my opinion that general registrars may not reject a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot submitted by overseas military voters for the November 4, 2008 federal election that does not include a printed name and address for the person who signs the witness statement…..”

Approximately 100 Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots have been set aside in Fairfax County pending a legal conclusion regarding the discrepancy between state and federal law. Additional Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots may also have been received in other jurisdictions. The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is most commonly used by members of the military who are stationed overseas and have not received a state absentee ballot. It is a means by which service members can be guaranteed a vote in federal elections.

A copy of this formal opinion was provided to the State Board of Elections this afternoon.

10-28-2008, 04:27 PM

Eyelids

If you're too stupid to figure out a ballot, then you're too stupid to vote. Thats our method of voter screening...

10-28-2008, 06:26 PM

3rd-try

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyelids

If you're too stupid to figure out a ballot, then you're too stupid to vote. Thats our method of voter screening...

You're really a worthless piece of crap. They are the reason you can say what you say in public without being put in the stupid home.
But, I guess you're against the awful repugs who actually want things like picture ID's and maybe a valid address in the district they're attempting to vote in, right?

10-28-2008, 06:49 PM

Eyelids

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3rd-try

You're really a worthless piece of crap. They are the reason you can say what you say in public without being put in the stupid home.
But, I guess you're against the awful repugs who actually want things like picture ID's and maybe a valid address in the district they're attempting to vote in, right?